Continuing on my bushcrafts theme at the moment I ordered some military-issue 550 paracord. This is cord with a rated strength of 550lbs (250kg) and is constructed of a flexible outer cover, which contains 7 white nylon cords. It can be used for everything from rigging a tarp for shelter, to repairing a broken rucksack strap, to tying sticks together to make shelter. The inner core can be removed to use as thin string for a fishing line, etc.
As well as just chucking one 15m (150ft) length in the bottom of my rucksack, I thought I’d have a go at making a ‘survival strap’. Survival straps are woven/knotted items made from paracord and which are part of your everyday kit – worn or carried. They an be unravelled to provide a short length of paracord to use in an emergency.
I decided to make a bracelet; I’ve decided paracord bracelets are the height of fashion! I followed a couple of instructional videos to complete a cobra braid. I was dead chuffed that I managed to complete this in about 20 minutes!
Unfortunately it is a wee bit too tight for my wrist despite following the sizing instruction carefully. However it is not wasted and I’m using it as a zip-pull on my work-issued rucksack.
My second attempt at the paracord bracelet fits perfectly!
This is made from approximately 2 m/ 7 ft of paracord.
That looks like a fearsomely large caterpillar invading your rucksack – probably give a passer-by a heart attack!.
I’ve taken to carrying a good length of cord (Dyneema in my case) as an emergency piece of kit for repairs etc., potentially useful for all sorts of things and weighs next to nothing. The bracelet makes a nice sweatband.
My reaction precisely, GeoffC–a big fat caterpillar–both on the rucksack, and lying in the sun on the plank.
Have you named your pet, Swan-Scot?
Clever. I have been reading a German blog about doing that. A very useful thing to have. You never know it might come in handy.
LOL Geoff and Harriet! When I go to work on Thursday I’m going to see how long it is before someone comments on the big, fat caterpillar crawling up my rucksack! 🙂 I’ll let some of the children who join me for activities name it!
🙂 Smiling at the caterpillar!
Cord has come a long way from the “lashing cord” we used when I was a Girl Scout – cheap fibrous stuff, I don’t even know exactly what it was. It held our stuff together, though.
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